The disclosed invention relates generally to medical devices and more particularly to an implantable urethral sling and a device for implanting the urethral sling within a pelvic region.
A variety of medical procedures are performed to treat urinary incontinence in female patients, including the implantation of slings and other medical devices to support a urethra. Some procedures for the implantation of urethral supports include making multiple incisions in the patient, some being external to the patient's body. In such situations, the sling tension is often adjusted external to the patient's body. Some urethral supports are placed through a single vaginal incision and through an obturator membrane, but do not exit the external layer of skin of the patient. In such embodiments, sling adjustment and tensioning may be difficult and cumbersome due, for example, to the length of the sling. Often, the tension of the sling is adjusted manually during the sling placement in the limited space of the vaginal canal. In some cases, a sling can be adjusted by cutting the sling to a specific length before insertion within the pelvic region.
In some sling implant procedures, excess sling material is displaced deeper into the patient's body such as placing both ends of the sling deeper into the obturator. Unfortunately, such procedures can cause inadvertent injuries to nerves and blood vessels. In some applications where large dissections are performed, tissue in-growth can be inhibited or slowed causing further complications.
In some single incision implant procedures, the sling is pre-assembled to a delivery device for insertion into the pelvic region. Many single incision slings are minimal in length and such short association of the sling to a delivery device can limit the manipulation of the delivery device as a second end of the sling is being placed.
Thus, it would be desirable to have a urethral sling and a delivery device for implanting the urethral sling with minimal dissection and that can be inserted through a single small vaginal incision.